Constipation – today’s ‘normal’?

Recently I came upon what I initially believed to be a really good parenting website – well sorry guys, for mums only apparently – as only mums offer ‘sound’ advice on all things parenting. Pfft.

As usual, it was filled with health and advice topics but it wasn’t long before I was gritting my teeth and chomping to start posting. Mothers were actually suggesting that other mothers were wrong in using a healthy diet. To go and discuss diet with doctors, who are untrained in nutrition. I was the 5th alternative health professional to try and comment. You could hear the tumbleweeds. Other mothers who argued that they had raised children using safe and effective natural health methods were attacked. If I didn’t force myself away I am pretty sure I could be responding for the next year – such is the level of misinformation on health care out there.

Group of sick children in pyjamas on the floor

As parenting slides down the slippery slope from something natural, to something that now requires constant medical, media and big brother monitoring I have to ask – how did something that should be instinctual, become so tightly bound in fear and manipulation? Kids are actually being abused and tortured in the name of health in 2015. There is now a common procedure within paediatric medicine which involves insertion of a nasogastric tube, administration of strong aperients and minerals, to drag the digestive system clean. It is painful and traumatic. Manual evacuation of impacted faeces is also common. But we can’t mention diet or gentle therapies?

The most basic of issues are now serious medical issues. Drugs are prescribed for even the minor concerns – no one seems aware that those scheduled drugs have side effects. Surgery is seen as some achievement – it’s pretty commonplace nowadays to see a gaggle of excited/tired mums gather and boast of the paediatrician, specialists and latest surgical procedures.

My kids were seen as an oddity while growing up and they each, at different times, came to me asking if I would let them be a ‘normal kid’ – why? “Because all my friends have had operations, needles, are on medications, see specialists or psychiatrists.”

Don’t get me wrong, raising 4 children was no walk in the park, especially for a (mostly) single parent. It’s just that I actively sought the best, most effective, SAFE options every single time extra effort was needed. And aside from an occasional plaster cast, there was ALWAYS an alternative.

So too with digestive disorders. Let’s get back to the basics – in utero, a baby’s body is formed based on a cocktail of DNA, heredity, chemical exposure, diet, stress and medications/supplementation. The digestion is already gearing for assault. If not delivered naturally, the most fundamental process for health is not transferred from mother to child – natural immunity and probiotic formation. If that basic nutrient/chemical is not supplemented after birth, the child is already set for some major health issues. This stems from poor immunity and digestive disorders and affects every aspect of health.

Then, the choice between breast feeding and bottle feeding rears its ugly head. This article is not an exercise in ethics or guilt but the simple fact is, the western world is the only sector where it is a ‘choice’ – and for some mystical reason millions of westerners ‘can’t’ breastfeed. I wonder why we are any different? For me it was not even a question – I would have done anything to make sure I could feed my baby the healthiest way possible – and sadly, in my circle of friends, I was the only one who did. With the middle child, the same thing. And with the twins, while even midwives and doctors went on about my ‘choices’ I didn’t see it. Even when it became obvious that just one side was ‘working’ I still fed both of them up to 12 months. No heroics, it was the best and I took steps to make sure it worked. Herbs, supplements, diet – I made it work.

Why is this so important? Somewhere along the line, vaccines and antibiotics took over where mother’s milk once stood. What naturally builds over time – natural immunity and protection – is now long gone. By the time a child reaches 1 year old, their bowel is no longer making red blood cells* and many food intolerances are ignored.

For the record, the true place of RBC manufacture is the large intestine – over time, as damage increases, the spleen and then bones take over – in turn, leeching vital nutrients (calcium, magnesium, silica etc) and causing osteoporotic processes while in childhood. Rather than address this with the simplest method – diet, we have become conditioned to ignore it until it becomes life threatening.

Why do you need to know this information? Well considering health begins in the digestive system, unless we address it from an early age, we are facing chronic ill health. Why is it considered quite okay to just wait to see if we end up with cancer, diabetes, and so on? Why do we now think sickness is a part of old age? It’s not. And yet it is.

We are happy to say we have allergies, yet loathe to do anything about it – yet by simply going alkaline, allergies become a thing of the past. No, we’d rather go and get a medicine that comes with a host of side effects. Worse still, we’d rather go and have a camera invading our bowel just to be told what, that we have a slow digestion?

What food intolerances are precursors or even long term effects of constipation? Has your doctor ever mentioned the importance of body pH? Yet it is THE most vital aspect of health.

Are you intentionally missing certain foods? Why is that? And more importantly, who told you this? Did you know that doctors study an elective 6 hours maximum of nutrition? And that most dietitians learn their advice from industry written books? That means people who have something to sell – wheat, dairy, meat and sugar industry. Did you get your advice from them?

Find out why the intestines of some small children are double the size of an adult’s.

In the full article, see why our eyes are linked to the health of our bowel. And find out why certain bacteria could be the difference between bowel health or your excretory system packing it in altogether. An iridologist can determine if a patient has a constipation issue without even having to use any special iriscope. It is that obvious, as the toxins begin to leech into surrounding organs and circulation. Eventually the kidneys, liver and even reproductive system are badly effected as they attempt to excrete the toxic buildup.

While I don’t recommend constant or excessive use of any aperient/laxative medicines, surely making an organ do its job is better than waiting for something irreversible? There are many foods that help with occasional constipation like prunes, citrus, apricots, even some chewing gums – but each of these is acidic so all they are doing is shocking the body on a temporary basis. The overall aim is to rebalance the body.

What illnesses and symptoms are linked to constipation?

Anal fissure (tearing)

Hæmorrhoids

Diverticulitis

Abdominal pain

Irritable bowel syndrome

Colo-rectal cancer

Belching, bloating & flatulence

Weightgain

Nausea & vomiting

Impaction & bowel rupture

Enlarged bowel

Anæmia

Fertility issues

Headaches

What issues can be associated or cause constipation?

Medication side effects

Low natural probiotic reserves

Vitamin D deficiency

Iron & calcium supplements

Analgesia side effects

Low water and oil intake

Incorrect posture

Incorrect toileting posture

Pelvic floor dysfunction or injury

Hormone imbalance, especially œstrogen dominance

Pregnancy

Low dietary fibre

For more information on the correct diet, please see my threads on the pH miracle. But what about at-home measures that not only correct elimination regardless of age, but prevent and even reverse chronic health issues?

Probiotics – The human body consists of 90% pathogens and parasites – most of them beneficial. However, once there is an imbalance, the digestive and immune systems decline. Probiotics have many functions and are safe for use during pregnancy, for infants right through to old age. This formula has not just digestive tonics that are safe and gentle, but also a powerful probiotic that will assist in digestion, elimination and immunity – Probioactive – suitable for use in infancy and childhood. If you prefer a drop formula – Jarro-dophilus will better suit you. For older children, these chewable Berry-dophilus will help make it fun. Adult/family probiotics – Power-Dophilus.

Vital oils –

1 teaspoon (children) or 1 tablespoon (over 12) of coconut oil daily will not only work as a gentle laxative but release colonic plaque buildup.

For chronic issues and to avoid surgery, 1 teaspoon (children) or 1 tablespoon (over 12) of castor oil will relax the bowel and stimulate peristalsis while moving impaction and buildup.

Toileting habits –

In many cultures and in history, humans squatted to straighten the lower bowel and evacuate sufficiently. This is especially effective when dealing with weak pelvic floors, those affected by long term medication or constipation, as it alleviates straining. There are many who prefer a squatting toilet, however in the western world most would prefer to sit. In this case you can use a simple small footstool to elevate both feet while on the toilet. This is one of the most simplest but effective measures for those with limited mobility.

Enema – many cultures use this simple at-home method on a regular basis to aid with removal of both parasites and constipation. Soap pellets are a common treatment in many African nations – mixed with herbs, they are an effective alternative to soap enemas still used in hospitals today. Simple saline enemas can be purchased, washed and re-used by using coffee, oil or soapy water. This is especially good for someone who is constipation long term – the impaction can be impossible to shift from top down, so moving things from the bottom up is the way to deal with it safely and effectively. Larger enema kits can be purchased online but the small saline 150ml bottles are more than enough.

Movement – simple movement. In infants, this can mean gentle pushing up and straightening of the legs repeatedly (warning – this must be done gently and was their muscles allow rather than forcing). Once a regular practice by new mothers and taught by child health nurses, it has all but disappeared. In older children, sedentary lives lead into worsening problems in adults. It’s no coincidence that a dog or horse, upon exercise, will evacuate within a relatively short time of exerting themselves. Movement can also include a form of acupressure which needs no professional instruction. Beginning under the rib cage and working down in straight lines, from the centre of the abdomen to just above the pubic bone, repeat to each side, then again further out until you have made four imaginary lines each side of the median – simply by pressing and releasing gently, as if you are massaging. Press and release – move the hands down a centimetre or two, press and release, move the hands down again and continue to repeat. This works in a combination of massaging the bowel contents and correcting imbalances of the digestion.

Constipation does not ‘just’ happen. It is the end result of many things. It is neither normal or part of a healthy lifestyle. As all things lead to digestion and bowel health, it is imperative that it is dealt with swiftly and in an ongoing manner. I have sadly heard of too many deaths from bowel-related health, including 100% unnecessary and unavoidable intestinal ruptures, to not want to write on this subject. Constipation in infants and children is at the highest level ever, despite access to fresh food and water, as is chronic ill health. It is up to every parent to ensure it is dealt with before it becomes a life threatening issue.

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Author: Chrysalis

Sharing the truth in health care with the public - especially those in nations where it is illegal to know the truth, for those who cannot afford health care, and for those who, through chronic illness or terminal disease are desperate to know the truth.
And I will use any means necessary to do so. This has cost me dearly over the years - legally, professionally, financially and personally - but each time I feel as though it's not work it, I find I HAVE to keep going. After the recent loss of our adored son in law through medical negligence, I vowed to never give up the fight that I began in orthodox medicine, then as a naturopath seeing proof that there are answers outside of medicine, outside of surgery, toxic chemicals and big pharma's control - and when my daughter almost died through medical error.
It's easy for some sectors of the community to dismiss someone who walked away from orthodox medicine. It's also easy for them to dismiss anyone who has qualifications in alternative medicine, regardless of how many lives they have saved - and regardless of whether most of those lives were failed by orthodoxy.
Yet spend years in between, working in medical/pharma research and really get the inside story and then watch the worms come out of the woodwork. It's an interesting conundrum to see just how people who on the surface appear to be intellectual and reasonable, all of a sudden shoot off the Richter scale of common sense - after all, there is no way on earth someone who has a sound knowledge of facts, could possibly, actually know something they don't.
Regardless of how my peers see me, I will spend the rest of my life getting the truth out there. It's astounding how much free time some of these poor excuses of humanity have, and how they believe they are discovering some amazing new thing with their hard hitting 'journalism' - imagine if all that effort could actually go into something decent and worthwhile.
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